Japanese and American reading programs in kindergarten and the primary grades differ extensively. This is partly because the Japanese written language makes initial learning easier and later learning more difficult. In addition, bolstered by a long history of literacy, Japanese parents provide more uniform support for their children's academic…

This paper examines the context of critical reading and considers how it can best be taught. The paper also includes some reflections on the current "state of the art" in critical reading in an English for Special Purposes (ESP) or English as a Second Language (ESL) context. The paper details a series of attempts to develop a set of…

A study examined time spent on comprehension instruction by award winning, masters degree, and non-masters degree teachers. Observations of reading lessons were made under two conditions; not-cued and cued to teach "ideal" comprehension instruction lessons. Subjects were 36 public school third-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade teachers…

This booklet by a committee appointed to assess the teaching implications of the Reading and Writing tests of the New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Test (NJCBSPT) is intended to provide ways of helping teachers assist students to improve their skills in reading and writing by, in part, pinpointing the major weaknesses of students taking…

Addressing many aspects of the use of computers in elementary reading instruction, this annotated bibliography in six sections contains 27 items from the ERIC database from 1987 to April 1989. The first section contains items discussing the pros and cons of such use; the second section deals with organizational aspects of computer use in the…

The extent and impact of adolescent illiteracy, brief descriptions of several successful programs designed to combat adolescent illiteracy, and a more detailed description of one of those programs are included in this collection of articles. The first article argues that while experts may disagree about the numbers of illiterate adolescents and…

Part of a series focusing on the classroom needs of special students, this book supplements more comprehensive and theoretical treatments of teaching language arts with practical classroom teaching strategies. The book is divided into the following five parts: (1) "Special Language Arts Needs of Special Learners," with chapters outlining…

This set of materials for a cultural writing curriculum for adult basic education students (5-8 grade level) consists of a teacher's guide and student manual (videotape and an audiocassette complete the set). The materials are intended to develop the adult learners' writing and reading competencies through their active involvement with the…

To illustrate the interdependent relationship between critical thinking and reading comprehension, and to show that critical thinking can be infused into classroom instruction using ordinary classroom materials (e.g. selections from a basal reading series), a study analyzed the transcript of a critical-thinking reading lesson for sixth grade…

The central theme in this journal issue is the use of the computer in teaching reading. The following articles are included: "The Use of Computers in the Reading Program: A District Approach" by Nora Forester; "Reading and Computers: A Partnership" by Dr. Martha Irwin; "Rom, Ram and Reason" by Candice Carlile; "Word Processing: Practical Ideas and…

Intended for reading teachers, this book of articles about reading and writing was written by teachers who intended to ask new questions about reading instruction. It bases its practice on a teaching philosophy in which teachers expect their students to work together, not segregated into proficiency groups. The first section contains articles…

The findings of a three-week visit in China by a study team of American scholars to examine the state of reading research and instruction in Chinese schools and universities are presented in the various articles of this report. Following an introduction describing the particulars of the visit, the report presents these articles: (1) "Chinese…

This evaluation report describes and assesses a compensatory education delivery system in the school district of Saginaw, Michigan. Three reading and math programs, for selected grades between grade 1 and grade 9, had the following goals: (1) to provide intensive academic instruction to the educationally disadvantaged; (2) to involve parents in…

Noting that many schools in the state of Indiana offer reading incentive programs that provide special recognition or awards to students who reach or exceed established goals in their reading programs, this booklet presents the results of a survey of the types of reading incentive programs in use. The booklet notes that the programs span all grade…

Conference presentations of research on reading comprehension, reading instruction, computer applications in reading instruction, and reading theory are compiled in this yearbook. Titles and authors of some of the articles are as follows: "A Rationale for Teaching Children with Limited English Proficiency" (M. Zintz); "Preliminary Development of a…